Sleeplessness, seizures and stress – my epilepsy experience

Sleep is a vital component of survival for human beings and it can be especially important for people who have disabilities which mean they expend more energy on a daily basis than others. I have always had quite a challenging relationship with sleep as a result of my cerebral palsy and it has impacted my

Why prom was more meaningful than expected

A few weeks ago I attended my school prom and I didn’t really expect that I’d want to write about it. Generally, I tend to choose topics to do with disability and write about them rather than focusing on personal experiences but I really wanted to share my experience of going to prom because it

Interviewing Eva Abley

Today I am going to be interviewing Eva Abley – the now sixteen-year old comedian with cerebral palsy who came fifth place in the fifteenth series of Britain’s Got Talent in 2022. I was fortunate enough to meet Eva last year at a residential activity camp after following her Instagram for years (I will admit

My relationship with eating

Anyone who knows me will probably tell you that my one greatest love in life (apart from Taylor Swift) is food. I have quite a big appetite and I will never say no if you are offering me something edible. In saying that, I’ve found as I get older I have a more complicated relationship

My experience on a part-time school timetable

Being at a mainstream school with cerebral palsy was a very challenging experience for so many reasons, one of them being the fact that I am very easily fatigued as a result of my disability. Growing up, I never really experienced fatigue and I was always a very energetic child but when I hit the

Why did I change my name?

Names – they’re a fundamental part of a person’s identity and a seemingly centuries old tradition of humans. My name is Melissa Jane Cassidy, well that is my full name however at age thirteen before I started secondary school I decided to shorten my name and get called “Mel” at this new school. Why did

Leaving school

As I’m writing this, tomorrow will be my last day of secondary school. It’s a very strange feeling to know that I will no longer be going to the same school with the same people every day and despite how difficult school has been on me both physically and mentally- it’s difficult not to feel

Why we need more CP awareness

Cerebral palsy – the most common childhood disability and yet people don’t seem to know much about it. This can partially be attributed to the fact that there is a lack of disability representation in media in general but I would also argue that the depictions we do have of cerebral palsy are usually very

My Goals for the Future

It’s officially 2024 and I thought what better way to celebrate than to share my goals for the future. I say future because I don’t expect to achieve all of these this year or even in the next few years but I want to share some of my ambitions. I think it’s also really important

18 lessons life has taught me

This year on the 18th of November I turn 18 which is both so exciting and absolutely terrifying at the same time. I thought to mark this I would share 18 lessons I’ve learned growing up that have shaped me into the person I am today while also telling you a little more about my